 |
The other night
I went to a screening (a rarity for me these
days) for a movie called “Serenity.”
The main reason I went was because it was
based on a failed television series that
was cancelled after airing only a handful
of episodes. It was even mentioned by the
hosts of the event, when they asked the
question, “How often do you get to
go to a movie that grew out of a failed
TV series?”
Now, because I was already a fan of the
TV series, I knew right away why the movie
was made. Aside from the fact that it deserved
to be, it was because the ‘failed’
TV series got so much attention after a
DVD set was released and sold so many copies
that the network (Fox) realized it might
have made a mistake in canceling it. Unfortunately
it was too costly to put the show back on
the air so Universal jumped in and offered
creator Joss Whedon the opportunity to make
a feature film. Hopefully more than one
if it did well at the box office.
Just to give you a little background before
I get into said feature film, let me fill
you in on “Firefly” (the series
that spawned “Serenity”)
|
The genius that is Joss Whedon first created
the mega-popular (and rightfully so) “Buffy
the Vampire Slayer”, and then gave us a
double whammy with its spin-off series, “Angel.”
When I heard a couple of years ago that he was
working on a new Sci-fi series, I couldn’t
wait to see it. I just knew “Firefly”
was going to be a great show.
I knew what Whedon was capable of, but with some
of the problems the Fox Network was giving him,
I was worried it would screw things up, and screw
it up they did. First, he was told the 2-hour
pilot would have to be shown later in the season.
You know… the episode that would kind of
introduce us to everyone and give us a heads up
as to what’s going on. But you know those
network programming suits; they lead the pack
when it comes to stupid decisions. Many a good
show has bitten the dust because it was constantly
pre-empted or moved. This was to be the fate of
“Firefly.”
First, Whedon had to re-work the shooting schedule
to allow for a new premiere episode. Fortunately,
he picked a winner with one called “Train
Job.” Since the series took place five hundred
years in the future, I could tell from the first
few scenes that “Firefly” was every
bit a ‘space western.’ The sets, costumes,
characters and attitudes screamed ‘western.’
Within minutes, the trademark Whedon dialogue,
made up of one-liners and wisecracks started firing
off. Like his earlier efforts, it had that perfect
mix of comedy, drama and action. And the special
effects were some of the best and most realistic
I’ve seen on a TV series. I was hooked.
I found each episode of “Firefly”
to be perfectly paced, with every single character
having a proper place within the ‘crew.’
From that first episode it immediately felt like
I was watching a show that was already a favorite.
I instantly understood who everyone was and how
he or she fit into the story’s universe.
Even the end had THE best and funniest ‘face
off with the bad guy’s henchmen’ ever
filmed. You have to see it to believe it. At the
end of that episode I remember thinking, “Please,
please let this show survive the Fox Network long
enough to gain an audience and ratings.”
The series surrounded a ship called (oddly enough)
Serenity. It was a Firefly Class ship, hence the
series name. It is run by Captain Malcolm Reynolds
(Nathan Fillion), who will take on any job as
long as it pays… legality is not often a
factor. In the past, he was part of a rebel group
known as the Browncoats who were fighting a war
against The Alliance (The ‘Powers That Be’
in the Galaxy). The Browncoats lost.
His crew is made up of his original second in
command Zoe (Gina Torres), her husband and pilot
Wash (Alan Tudyk), mechanic Kaylee (Jewel Staite)
and tough guy Jayne (Adam Baldwin).
They also have onboard a couple of passengers,
Inara (Morena Baccarin) and Sheperd Book (Ron
Glass). Inara is a ‘companion’ (take
a good guess), who only takes on clients of the
highest order, and Shepherd is a preacher of sorts…
or so he seems.
They also take on Dr. Simon Tam (Sean Maher) and
his sister River (Summer Glau). They do this grudgingly
as they are on the run from The Alliance, or at
least River is because she is also more than she
seems.
I watched almost all of the episodes that aired.
The only ones I missed were due to fact that I
had no idea when they would be on. Unfortunately,
due to all the bouncing around, the series was
cancelled after airing only 11 episodes.
“Firefly” had already gained a huge
following, so there was a loud outcry from fans
to bring the show back. Some had even hoped it
would be picked up by another network, the way
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Roswell”
had. But it was not to be. “Firefly”
was history.
When news hit the Internet last year that the
complete series run of “Firefly” was
going to be released on DVD, it started off a
landslide of talk. Not only would fans get the
opportunity to see ALL the episodes that were
shot, but also they could now see them in the
order they were meant to be aired.
When I first picked up the set (which I HIGHLY
recommend you do), getting to see all 14 episodes
in order made me realize just how good a show
it was. It was very different from Whedon’s
earlier efforts, yet still had his style stamped
all over it. Since that time, my wife and I have
watched all the episodes at least 3 times. Why?
Because the show was that good.
The most important point I can make to you about
the film is that the series was THE BEST written
and produced TV series I have ever watched.
My wife and I went to see the film version “Serenity”
with a strong mix of anticipation and dread. We
were thrilled to be able to see these beloved
characters together again, but were concerned
that a feature film would be too big or not done
as well. Thankfully, our anticipation was well
met.
“Serenity” is the best movie I have
seen in a theatre all year. And I’m not
saying this just as a fan of the series. My intent
as a reviewer was to look for ways the film might
relate to someone who has never seen the series,
which is very important. From that point of view,
the film did a great job introducing most of the
main characters… only lapsing a bit with
one of them. The background of the overall plot
was well enough drawn out by the script as to
fill in newcomers with enough information as to
keep them from getting lost.
There were a few small plot points that might
have been confusing to someone who hadn’t
seen the series, but that is true of any film.
The main plot carried on with the storyline of
The Alliance’s desire to capture River and
her brother and the crew’s desire to stop
them. The crew of the Serenity find themselves
being hunted by an Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor)
who is so intent on doing his job that he will
literally stop at nothing.
He does not care why River must be caught, only
that she must. He will kill anyone, even children
if it will serve the greater good of his beliefs.
He knows his actions are evil, but calmly accepts
them as a means to an end. His is one of the most
cold-blooded and chillingly evil characters I’ve
seen in a while.
One thing I can say about “Serenity”
is that at times it seems like a long version
of one of the TV episodes. Normally this can be
taken as an insult, but that is not the case here.
As I mentioned before, “Firefly” was
(in my opinion) THE BEST written series that has
ever aired, and the quality of the film version
carries on that strong tradition of quality. The
script is terrific, and deftly mixes strong humor
with pathos in a way that most big budget films
miss. The characters are well drawn out enough
that they can be embraced by fans and newbies
alike. And as for the special effects, I’d
put them up against any of the new ‘Star
Wars” Trilogy movies any day. As a matter
of fact, I’d say that in its entirety, “Serenity”
is an overall better film than any of them.
To the fans of the series I can only tell you
that you will not be disappointed in any way by
the feature film… with an exception. I refuse
to give out any spoilers, but realize that “Serenity”
is part of the Joss Whedon universe, and as such…
no character is ever completely safe. You will
cheer, you will laugh and you will cry, and in
the end you will consider it a satisfying theatre
experience.
For those of you who haven’t seen the original
series, I highly recommend you take a chance.
Though you might not initially have the emotional
attachment to the characters that fans have, you
will walk away having seen one of the best movies
of the year, and perhaps find an interest in picking
up the DVDS.
Remember… You can’t stop the signal.
Written and Directed by: Joss Whedon
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Adam Baldwin,
Alan Tudyk, Ron Glass, Summer Glau, Sean Maher,
Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite
Studio: Universal
Opens: 9/30/2005
Website
Website
We'll give Serenity an A+.
|
